


Break the Hardest of Hearts

by ab2fsycho



Series: The Candle Cult [12]
Category: The Candle Cult
Genre: M/M, Slow Burn, and there is talk of past traumas, frustrating beginnings of this relationship, takes place after Puppeteer Takeover and before the Halloween Event 2k15, they do get very rough with one another
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-12
Updated: 2016-04-12
Packaged: 2018-06-01 21:23:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6536785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ab2fsycho/pseuds/ab2fsycho
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Friends? Once upon a time, yes. Enemies? As of Tea's turning, yes. The relationship of Tea and Aiden is riddled with betrayal, pain, fear, rage, and guilt intermingled with the residual tones of adoration and care. They had quietly never to forgive one another for certain events of the past, but all previous agreements shattered as soon as Tea shoved a heart into Aiden's chest. </p><p>Everything changed when Tea woke up from his month long coma to find the former Puppeteer, his former best friend and most recent rival, still alive and with a beating heart he says Tea gave to him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Break the Hardest of Hearts

**Author's Note:**

> BIG NOTE: I did not write this alone. I had help from Aiden's mun, who is not on AO3. This was a series of collaborative rps we did to give you a glimpse of the complicated relationship of yours truly.

How long had he been there? How long had it been since he arrived - or since Tapi had first thrown him into his entrapment - at this godforsaken shop? The same stones digging into those same spots of his back as the former Puppeteer sat in the corner of his lightless cell. The rope cutting into his already broken wrists, rubbed raw to keep him from trying anything - not that he would he was waiting for his answer. Barely able to see a foot in front of himself with eyes still trying to adjust. The bars were safety in this monster infested place, protection from whatever lurked in those deceitful shadows. But it was more than he deserved . . . .

He had come in the middle of the night, drenched as the rain poured down on the Puppeteer's broken and beaten form, at first he thought he was lost, the woods so vast, but there was the mansion, in all its creepy glory, the mist, darkness, and rain doing nothing to make it any more appealing. The sky was probably crying of joy, with Lance, Liam . . . and the other . . . more troublesome Puppeteers . . . that had been . . . dealt with . . . . But he had been so fortunate to run into the leader when he had come to the door, of all people. He hadn't expected the smoke, the colorful words yes. But not the smoke.

Even after waking up she had been there, just like the few other times she had come down to see him, asking questions that weren't relevant to the main problem, and that she had already known the answer to. These visits usually left him in coughing fits, her smoke wasn’t too friendly on the lungs. She had even taken him to see the other once, if only for a moment, and seemingly only to make the remaining time worse, 

Tea had looked so peaceful in his sleep . . . . 

Aiden jostled his still broken wrist, the hole Tea had ripped through him still there and aching. The foreign organ still filled with the residual pain . . . pain that continued to haunt him even through the small times of sleep he allowed himself where the days and nights practically blurred together. He whispered his never-ending question with dry lips, the sound isolated in the catacombs of his new home

". . .How long?" How long would it be till he eventually died, or tried to kill himself . . . not that he could, or would, but it was an almost reassuring thought. "How long till I see you again?"

\--

Waking up had gotten easier after a few days of rest and recuperation. Not that Tea felt recuperated. He felt awful. He felt lost. There were large chunks of his history that were missing and the only evidence of those pieces ever having happened were engraved on his body. Black claw marks on his back, legs, and sides. Black holes in his torso where he'd been gutted. Black bites on his arms. Even black lines indicating one arm and his head had damn near been torn off. He could hide most of these, but not the scar at the corner of his mouth. Not his purple gums and blush. He was so much paler now, and he bled just as black as the scars that riddled him.

Yes, leaving the room when he couldn't even remember how he'd gotten like this was the most difficult part. Or so he thought. He had had help, at least. Help he hadn't deserved. He deserved hell but . . . he supposed he'd gotten that hell after all. Just look at him.

It was the need to see the one he was told had been kept in one of the cells that finally pulled him from his static state. The curiosity and anxiety outweighed the horror that froze him. He had to know why he was here, because no one else seemed to be able to tell him. He needed to go to the source.

Stepping down into the dark that forced his eyes to reflect, he was wholly unprepared to be met by the waves upon waves of emotion. They choked him, silencing him. He stared at the hunched figure behind the bars, not saying a word. What the hell was he supposed to say anyway?

Too wrapped up in his own thoughts to hear the quiet steps, Aiden continuing to mumble that one question - his eternal question over and over. That is until it hit him - fear - the idea something was there but . . . wasn't. It wasn't unusual he had spent a lot of his time staring into the darkness, looking for that beast that was hiding, waiting to attack. Seeing things that weren't actually there. His head snapped to the gate, eyes looking over and landing on two . . . two golden rings. His chest tightened,

"Skinwalker . . .," he rasped, no - no the smaller's eyes tried to focus - they strained to look, but no - it wasn't - it was a trick of his eyes, mind. After this long he had assumed that Tea wouldn't even want to see him - was walking around and ignoring the fact a Puppeteer was kept in the catacombs - and in turn happy to be free of their control. Tea wouldn’t want to see him. Why would he? Aiden swallowed thickly, it was just staring - standing as so many had done before - no not Skinwalkers - but the many beasts before the one that was the root of his pain. So he would stare right back, watch it, make sure it couldn't attack.

The fear rolling off Aiden felt like poison trickling through Tea’s veins, starting in his chest. This . . . this didn't feel right. For one, Tea felt him. That could only mean one thing: Aiden had a heart now. But . . . how?

He smelled blood. Even the blood smelled wrong, old, caked and . . . just wrong. Everything was wrong here, Aiden was alive and with a heart and injured and tied up and had no one been down here other than to hurt him because the way he was staring wasn't just his average discomfort over Tea's lineage no he was ready to be attacked.

Had . . . had he been attacked?

Tea blinked several times, trying to steel himself. This was Aiden. Aiden, with or without a heart, was not to be trusted. He shouldn't feel bad for him. Clenching his fists, he asked, "What happened to you?"

Aiden blinked, red eyes reflecting only for a second before the words registered, and his cold gaze narrowed. Those strings tugged at that heart. Not again - not again - he couldn't read whatever this thing was but this was the sign for more pain - more emotion that he certainly didn't want. No, he had been too isolated to test it out, only when the leader came in the beginning could he truly feel her anger, it left him gasping for breath - it was like drowning as it swallowed him whole - the smaller cut off from his tangent, that voice sounded an awful lot like Tea . . . too much like Tea. He let out a strained chuckle, unsure of where it came from, it was asking him a question, would it be rude not to answer? 

"Nothing you shouldn't know?" It - he hadn't meant it to be another question . . . but - how did you talk to something not really there?

The sense of wrong only got worse as Aiden took him in with his gaze. Could the other . . . could he tell what Tea was feeling? Aiden hadn't been dense before, but most often he elected to ignore Tea's actual emotions. At least that was the impression he'd gotten. But now it was almost like he was . . . reading him.

The fact that Aiden had not greeted him by name but by 'skinwalker' should have clued him in that Aiden either wasn't all there mentally or he didn't realize it was him standing there. Then again with the way the other had answered his question . . . was Tea the one who was crazy?

The gigantic gaps in his memory were trying to make themselves known via a headache. Rubbing the part of his head most associated with memory, he closed his eyes and asked, "Why are you here?" since the other question seemed too difficult for the other to answer.

The skinwalker was . . . hurting? If only slightly. Aiden tried to lean forward, slowly, the rope catching on his wrists, tightening and keeping him from pulling any further - and he stopped. Whatever this was he could . . . feel it? The other felt off about something. No no, residual - residual that was all he had handled in the past . . . all he had been dealing with between Tapi's ill attempted attacks . . . but he hadn't dealt with anything other than wrath . . . how long had it been?

He - he didn't like this, whatever this was wasn't going away. Aiden bit into his lower already bloody lip, think - think what else could this be what else - he stilled at 'not' Tea's question - that was the question he had been waiting for that was - no, no. This was fake - He was fake. He slumped back against the wall with a grunt, it wasn't him - it wasn't. Tea was never going to come. He turned away from the hallucination, retreating to the safety of not talking to it. He had to keep his bearings until . . . until what? Tea wasn't going to show up. So . . . what was left? Why was he staying around?

Tea shifted on his feet, then clarified, "You're the only person who can answer me so . . . if you want to ignore me . . .," he clamped his mouth shut. The other was turned away now and he just . . . what did he say? What was he supposed to do?

Tea took a moment to settle down on the floor, lowering himself so that he was on Aiden's level. If the other insisted on acting like a wounded animal (he was hardly acting) then he would treat him as such. It would be difficult waiting to hear from the other, especially given how much he was feeling. But Tapi already refused to tell Tea anymore of why the other was here. Tea needed to know.

And the longer he stayed the more he felt how wrong everything was in his gut.

". . . Go away," was his rasped reply. "Why won't you go away, I don't have time for you? " He did, but Aiden didn’t want to admit that. He needed - he needed to be focused and right now this thing was distracting him. Tea would know, Tea would know what happened . . . right? The smaller tugged at the ropes forcefully, pain blossoming as each tug became increasingly panicked, those emotions were coiling again - and it felt too real. But it wasn't. He heard shuffling, side glancing he caught sight of those gold rings, the only thing discernable from his fears, from that darkness that threatened to devour him. He bristled at the thought of the skinwalker. His skin was starting to itch, those strings pulling against that heart in his chest. Why wouldn't it leave? He didn't need this know, the 'not' Tea was too much like the original - maybe it is Tea. ". . . Why won't you go? "

Tea's eyes narrowed. "Aiden? Look at me," he said more sternly than he intended. He sensed the fear in the other, fear he didn't remember him having. Nothing. He remembered nothing. What had happened to Aiden, why was he like this? This was wrong. Aiden bitched and complained, he didn't cower and beg like this. "Answer me before I come in there."

The smaller flinched - he couldn't he couldn't come in - no others had come in - nor had they threatened to - the prisoner's eyes went wide, snapping to attention as he stared the other down with an unfocused gaze, confusion, that's all he was getting from the other and it scattered what little thoughts he had pieced together. ". . . Don't . . . you can't - You - you can't." Fear bubbled up in his chest, turning fully to the one named after a well-loved drink. His hands shook involuntarily and he curled over the wound under his chest. "You. You happened, but you aren't him . . . no you can't be . . . ." Now he just sounded crazy - everything here was crazy.

Tea's eyes narrowed further. "What do you . . . not him?" What was he . . . ? Tea's eyes blew wide as he leaned forward, palms flat on the floor. "Aiden, the last thing I remember is talking to Gemmy. What did . . . I don't know what happened to you and," something in Tea snapped and he found himself asking with more frustration than he knew he had, "how the fuck do you have a heart right now?!"

Aiden recoiled - Oh god that hurt! The overwhelming force that seemed to come from the taller, burning his nerves and sending shivers down the prisoner's back. Jolting away from the source of pain the rope pulled tight and he grit his teeth, "D-dammit. " the smaller pulled back, ignore it, ignore it - it couldn't be real, "G-go away . . . you're not real." That was the only explanation, that was the only thing he would believe “Go away!” - he must have finally lost it.

Tea didn't wait any longer. "I'm coming in." Going for the cell door, he stood and unlocked it. When it was open, he resumed a seat on the ground only this time he was right in front of Aiden. Reaching out, he sought to touch the other's leg. Physical contact always allowed him greater control over another's emotions.

It was a delayed reaction, Aiden hadn't been able to see the approach, but he had heard the cage door creak. Then he could feel it, red eyes shooting wide as the smaller pulled away from that hand "D-don't!" He let out a muffled cry, the prisoner had moved too fast. ItwasTea - It was - Terror ripped through him, this was his fault - all of this was Tea's fault. The pain from the first time he had gained the wretched thing hit him - had given him this dreaded weight - Aiden forcefully kicked out at Tea recklessly in an attempt to get him off. "Don't touch me!" He hissed at those gold rings, the taller's silhouette just barely visible to Aiden and it had him lashing out.

Tea grabbed at Aiden's leg, latching onto whatever sense of calm he felt and pouring it into him. Leveling his gaze with him, he whispered, "Talk to me," lowly as his energy started flowing through him and into Aiden. The pull was much more intense than he remembered. It must be the heart inside of him. "Start with where you got the heart from." Because this felt . . . unnatural to him. Aiden with a heart wasn't . . . wasn't right.

Aiden stiffened, body locking as he pressed himself against the stone wall - the energy hit him too fast - the smaller man going limp as it continued to work its way through his body - like some kind of parasite, those feelings weren’t his own - but he couldn’t get away, away from Tea away from the skinwalker - Eyes screwing shut, he gasped and shifted tensely, as if thinking it might help dull the feeling, dull the emotions that ached in his chest. Tea's touch burned against his skin before diluting down into a cold chill - everything . . . calming. Aiden grunted, breath evening before whispering quieter than the beast had, chest now exposed and bruised hands sitting limply in his lap. Tea's question still ringing in his ears.

" Y . . . you . . . ."

Tea froze. "W-why?" That was the first question to leave his lips, and it did so in such a knee jerk fashion even he was surprised at himself. Pain started to seep into his fingers where he and Aiden were connected. So much pain . . . Tea knew he was telling the truth but . . . this was one of the more difficult truths he'd had to face upon awakening.

Aiden had hurt him. Terribly. Tea hated, loathed him. That was a constant, it had to be. Why would he do this to him? Why hadn't he just killed him?

Aiden's hand shot forward, barely able to latch onto Tea's forearm as the rope cut into his skin. His grasp was weak, barely able to hold on. He couldn't risk it - no he couldn't deal with that fury from the skinwalker - he couldn't, not again. "Kill me." He couldn't let Tea know, and he couldn't be allowed to live - he couldn't live through the other's anger again - The emotions in him were running rampant against Tea's, "Kill me!" He begged, "You have to!" That's what he had been waiting for. He hadn't understood why Tapi hadn't but he needed - he needed someone to.

The desperation in Aiden's tone and touch threw Tea off just enough that he almost didn't notice the state of the other's wrists. Both were heavily red, but one was swollen and the rope looked like it was actually cutting into him. Tea's eyes widened. Aiden had done a lot of worse things to him in the past, but for him to be stuck down here without any light, food, or attention to his obvious injuries (Jesus, Tea smelled the blood now) . . . .

Whether it was because of the sudden influx of the other's emotions or a desire to prove he was better than the Puppeteers, Tea didn't know. He just started untying the other's wrists, ceasing all other questions. “Hang on,” he murmured, half to Aiden and half to himself.

The smaller stared at Tea, something almost - leaving him confused, the other emotions disappearing altogether as the man tried to focus on just what Tea was doing - or thinking for that matter. "W . . . what?" Was the other crazy!? "S . . . stop." No - no, "Tea stop." He whined with a quiet rasp. He wasn't going to do the good guy thing again - No, this isn't how stories went. Tea wasn't supposed to help him. Aiden's hands started shaking again, his chest ached and those strings were back. He blinked. This had never been right, Tea had never . . . he was awake . . . Tea was alive . . . and Aiden wasn't supposed to be.

After all, who ever helped the bad guy of a story.

"You're not in your right mind." Tea fought to undo the binds, focusing on that instead of blood and grime the other wreaked of. "You need to be in your right mind to answer my questions." When Tea finally freed Aiden's wrists, he gripped him by the fingers to examine what the ropes had done.

Aiden didn't like being looked at like that, he wasn't some lost soul - he wasn’t something picked up off the street to be treated and taken care of - he wasn't supposed to get better - "Stop," he hissed a little louder, "Ssstop." The smaller's hands twitched in Tea’s hold at the electricity that washed over his skin. "It'sss you who isn't in your right mind . . . ."

Tea ignored Aiden, dropping his wrists to pull him upright by the elbows. "Yeah well," he started pulling Aiden toward the door, "I won't argue there." For a moment Tea forgot who he was dragging out of a cell. All he sought to do was get him cleaned up and rested enough that he was cooperative.

Aiden grunted, nearly falling into the giant - that hurt. "F - Fuck Tea - sstop!" He whined, unable to see what was going on, his legs useless under him as Tea pulled him forward and out of the cage. "S- you shouldn't care! - hnk!" His muscles started to burn, he dug his claws into the taller's shoulders. His body was stiff - " H-how are you okay?" - alive? - It . . . it slipped his lips, and he nearly choked when he had heard it himself.

Tea instinctually wrapped an arm around Aiden to hold him upright, pulling him through the dark. Thinking of a book he'd read, he answered sarcastically, "Deep magic from the dawn of time. Now come on." He poured more calm into the other through touch, feeling the strain on his energy. He had rested long enough. He should be plentiful energy wise. Then again, it had all been spent during the healing process. He should really be taking it easy and not struggling with a former enemy.

Which again raised the question of why the fuck he was doing this?

Even against the pain that was slowly ebbing away, the smaller man bristled,the darkness outside of his cell catching his attention . . . subconsciously leaning closer to the giant. Tea was there . . . as much as he didn't want him . . . he was there, and he was alive.

"Are you going to kill me?" he asked against the other's shoulder. His nerves burned with overuse, eyes falling and barely being kept open as he dragged his feet. Tea seemed . . . alright, somehow - and from whatever the ‘deep magic’ had done - so he should be able to finish what had started at that fight. This heart was too much to bare, and the emotions were overwhelming.

Tea glanced down at the shorter, then murmured, "Not yet." He needed to know why Aiden had survived in the first place. Guiding the other up the stairs towards the crack of light upstairs, Tea added, "You stink."

Aiden let out a soft grunt, hitting each step along the stairs as he put nearly all of his weight against Tea. The comment would have had him complaining - talking back - if he were able to muster up any strength to do so and not for the calm currently eating at him - no doubt Tea's handy work . . . familiar - yet more overpowering than he himself remembered. The smaller let out a shocked hiss, as the door came in view, he narrowed his eyes. Trying to shove away from the other with warning growls, "Not going . . . ."

Tea sighed. Now this . . . this was familiar. That fucking belligerence. Tea lifted Aiden up by the waist, grunting as he did so. Holding him up like this, he started carrying him upstairs. "Yeah you are."

"S-shit!" Too close - Tea was - Aiden's body locked in place, outcries dying in his throat as his chest burned and his heart was tugged at again - don't fight him - "W-what?" Those strings were back - but they hurt, they tugged and pulled. Tea was fucking pulling his leg - " W . . .what did you do?"

"What did I do?" Tea asked as he neared the top of the stairs while moving the other. God, there was something wrong with the scent of his blood. Tea was hoping that was grime and not infection he was smelling. "What did you do? How'd you get this way you fucking idiot?"

"You . . .," was the only answer he gave before slumping back against the giant. Eyes sliding closed as he remembered that face, those three eyes - fangs and malicious grin that split his skull with rows of teeth while the other was blinded by the skinwalker's fury - Aiden's heart clenched, gasping quietly - stop . . . stop . . . how long has it been . . . and Tea doesn't remember.

He felt that the other was unnerved, skin tingling where Tea touched - where he could feel - He was at the giant's mercy . . . and he hated it.

Tea almost froze as he set Aiden down to open the door. His blood ran cold. This . . . was his doing?

Aiden seemed much worse. Maybe he didn't look this bad upon arrival. Still he . . . Tea had done this. But . . . why? Why would he do this to him? Why not just kill him?

Everything felt about as wrong as Aiden's blood smelled. "What did you do?" Tea echoed the other's question from earlier as he shoved the basement door open. "To make me do this to you?"

Aiden seemed to shrink back at the question, recoiling as if burned by the light and sliding back into reachable shadows. Face downcast and arms wrapped around his abdomen - just below the smaller's ribcage. " . . . later . . .," he whispered, inaudible to any regular person - but this was Tea - this was a skinwalker - ". . . later . . .," that is - if he was still alive - that confusion in Tea was growing - and soon he'd have to answer those questions. Aiden couldn't tell if it was real or not but he tasted it on his tongue. He could feel the taller's gaze baring down on him and it chilled his blood, ". . . please? "

Tea nodded. "You need a shower first anyway." Tea began partly carrying partly dragging Aiden through the house. He wanted to recoil from the other's fear. Whatever the reason, it was destroying Aiden. Either that or having a fresh heart beating in his chest was. "Speaking of," Tea began, "how are you handling the heart situation?" Tea knew intimately what it was like to have one shoved back into his chest, but Aiden had been without the organ for about fifty years. That was fifty years of emotion he was crumpling under. Tea should be impressed he could stand, but really he just wanted to know why the fuck he'd done this.

Aiden scrunched his eyes shut against the light, something he had been without for . . . for a long time . . . something about it he didn't like as he stumbled against the other. His own thoughts scattering to confusion, body following Tea willingly against his own volition - "Too much . . . ." It had all been too much, an invasion of scenes - is that what he had been feeling all this time? Feelings that weren't even his own? Tea's question almost felt mocking in a way. And the pleasantries weren't going to make it any easier. "I don't . . . I can't . . . ." There was too much from this one organ - he'd long since cried himself out at the simplest things - the things in the past.

And here Tea was, chatting as if it might be a simple addition . . . . An easy piece to cope with. Though he didn't deserve this kindness from the taller - he didn't deserve to talk to Tea - let alone be alive anymore than he was, he wasn’t going to be walked over . . . . If he could help it.

"You'll get used to it." If the reason for his living proved to be as terrible as warranting such a heavy handed punishment as forcing the other to feel. But since it was Tea's heart (he could only assume he'd shoved his own heart into Aiden's chest and not someone else's) beating in the other . . . he wondered. "When you feel certain things, does your skin tingle? Like you got hit with electricity?"

Aiden nodded. "I don't want to get used to it," was his mumbled, yet somehow sharp, reply. Eyes still shut and head still spinning with unanswered questions. The smaller's hand squeezed Tea's shoulder, this time his talons remained out of that delicate flesh. "I don't like it . . . . I-it's . . . too much."

"It's too much for a lot of us. There are ways to deal with it." Not just offing yourself. He didn't say the last part, but he thought it. "I'll make you a deal. Clean yourself up and talk to me like a human being. If the reason I did this to you seems unfair or whatever, I'll end you quickly. For now, get in here," he shoved Aiden off of him and into the bathroom he'd been moving them towards. "Stuff’s in the shower. Only one of your wrists is broken, so don't act like it's impossible to wash up. I'll be back with clothes."

He huffed in annoyance, catching himself on the counter with his good hand, eyes still locked onto the floor as he blinked away the pain from the lighting, everything bright against the white tiles . . .. ". . . okay . . . ." Aiden glanced around the small room, hands running over the smooth marble - not stone, not cold, not gray. Red eyes caught gold as he shuffled carefully back to the door to the best of his ability. Ebony claws clicking on the door frame and looking down the hall on either side as if someone - or something would come after him at any moment. Blood red eyes flicking back to the skinwalker, his expression almost grateful, "A . . . are you sure? I mean . . . Tapi, or . . . Problem . . . ." He left the sentence open . . . both knew what those Chandeliers were capable of.

Tea shook his head. "They won't do anything while I'm here. And I'm not leaving you alone too long." Reaching for the door, he went to close it. Then he added, "I'll wait for you out here. Just need to run up and grab some clothes for you."

Aiden stepped back, turning around to look at the room. A small, “ . . . Thanks," slipping past his lips and he hoped the other hadn't heard. There was a click - the door was closed and he . . . felt oddly . . . hollow. No emotions running through his system. Stepping to the mirror, Aiden expected the sight that greeted his tired eyes - he looked like hell . . . .

He removed his shirt first stopping for a few seconds as the wound stared at him like an unfamiliar scene. The scar cutting up his torso and chest, stopping below his collarbone - stop - breathe - a loud exhale through his nose and he was removing the rest of what used to be considered clothes and throwing them in one of the empty trash cans - he was never going to put them on again, the Puppeteer logo on the cloth was like a kick in the ribs . . . . Which were still sporting some nice shades of purples and blues . . . . Moving back over to the shower, and avoiding a side glance to the mirror, Aiden let out a loud groan - how the hell was he supposed to work this?

It took a little bit - a few seconds of freezing water woke him up but the rest was a fucking pleasure. His wet ebony hair now plastered down and onto his face as his muscles relaxed under the streams, good hand moving those strands away from his face. It had burned at first - against those wounds - but now all he was - was numb - mind running back over unanswered questions . . . and Tea. He didn't remember . . . so what should he say? Truth? Lie? Would Tea even keep his word and kill him in the end? Aiden sighed - he'd think about it when the time came, for now, he'd enjoy the water.

Meanwhile Tea went back to his new room, which was bare save for a bed large enough to hold five normal sized people. He drowned in the mattress and blankets the first night he'd slept in it, used to sleeping on things only a quarter of that size.

Sifting through what had been left behind for him (by who he wasn't sure, these clothes weren't his), he pulled out a pair of sweatpants that would probably be too long on Aiden and an undershirt that would likely be tight on the broader individual. He paused as he was gathering up other pieces, looking at the sleeves of his own long sleeved shirt rolling up past his wrists. There was all of one scar that ventured down between his thumb and index finger and it was barely visible now but the little part he did see was enough to make him tug at the sleeve with shaking fingers.

He wasn't yet used to what had become of him. The purple blush that hit his face, chest, and hands was still foreign. It took all of his willpower not to pull a scarf on, not to circle it around his neck to hide the uneven lines, the brand, pull it up over his nose so no one could see the scar at the corner of his lip. There was no hiding. He was more monster than before and he couldn't hide that.

He left his room quickly, dropping the clothes in front of the bathroom door and knocking before settling in a nearby chair to wait. He faced away, trying not to feel the heat creeping up his neck.

With a bright blue towel wrapped around his waist the smaller tugged - he wasn’t quite sure how long he’d been there - but he easily pulled the still unlocked door open. Stumbling slightly at the repressed feelings that hit him. Only once - once had this emotion hit him . . . but it was so faint . . . he almost didn't believe it. Standing there, in that doorway, for a good three minutes he finally focused on the taller sitting in the chair - "Oh." his foot brushed against the fabrics below him and he looked down, pink dusting across his cheeks, "T-thanks." Reaching down with a soft whine at the strain it put on his legs he pulled the clothes carefully to his chest, ". . . I'll be out in a little . . . in a little bit." As quick as his body allowed he turned and closed the door, holding his breath the entire time.

"Kay," Tea answered halfheartedly. He found himself rubbing his neck, a nervous tic that seemed to have replaced the constant tugging at his coat collar. He didn't miss the coat. Not in the slightest. He'd been relieved to learn he would never have to look at it again. But . . . .

He should have grabbed a scarf. He wasn't thinking clearly and neither was Aiden. One of them had to keep their head to get through this all, to figure out where to go from here.

The door creaked open, Aiden pulling at the tank top slightly, hanging on his shoulders as the bottom of the pants had been rolled up . . . those also loose and baggy, but looking more alive. The scratches a bright red against his pale skin. Those feelings were back and tugging at his heart. He noticed that tic of the other's - and for the first time - the scar along his lip . . . had Liam left it as a reminder? Absentmindedly scratching at the scars on his cheek, ". . . H . . . hey?" He couldn't tell if Tea was zoning out or ignoring him on purpose.

Tea's hand jerked from his neck and he twisted in his seat to face Aiden. The other already looked ten times better than before. "H-hey, just," he gestured for Aiden to follow him as he stood. He pointed to the door and muttered, "This way." Focus. He needed to focus. Get the answers, figure out where to go. "You probably haven't eaten-n."

Why was Tea stuttering? Did - was something wrong? He moved kinda fast too . . . . The smaller nodded slowly, his nerves were on fire, so much for the small reprieve - everything and anything seemed to set them off. But he followed. Tea was acting . . . weird, weirder than normal, " H . . . hey . . . k -Tea? You alright?"

Leading the other through the house, he shook his head but said, "I'm fine." As he brought the other to the kitchen, he pointed to the table and chairs and said, "Have a s-seat if you'd like." Not stammering took major effort. Blinking several times, his gaze darted from the refrigerator to the medicine cabinet. He should set Aiden's wrist first. No, feed him. Ugh. It was too soon to make decisions like this. His brain hurt, and there were the lingering questions that kept him accommodating for the time being. "Food or medicine first?" Tea asked. Might as well put some of the decision making on the person in question.

Aiden jolted at the question, noticing the cult member's unease after the shock to his system. Something was wrong, but he just couldn't pinpoint it . . . not that he'd want to. "You . . . you sure you're not the one that needs medicine?" he asked flatly - it was meant to be a joke- but his tone might have made it seem otherwise. Stumbling to the chair, the man pulled it out with a creak, sitting heavily into the wooden furniture. He felt sore - as if the small walk had been a dead sprint. His mind wandered back to the other's question - he preferred neither . . . but he didn't want Tea touching his wounds. "Food." Was Aiden's halfhearted reply, idly scratching at the wood table, red eyes finding its pattern much more interesting than the conversation at hand, "Please . . . ."

Tea nodded and started pulling from the fridge. He . . . he hadn't cooked anything in a long time. He wasn't sure he remembered how. Keeping it simple, he grabbed some sliced meats and cheese from a few drawers in the refrigerator. Moving to the counter, he then started pulling bread from the cabinet. He had no fucking clue how long it had been since he himself had eaten (the scents were getting to his head, he didn't like it), but Aiden was weak and food tended to help with that. Putting together a semi sloppily made pair of sandwiches, he was cutting them in halves when he asked, "Broken wrist, new heart, any other inj-juries that need addressing?" Before he learned why he'd received them, that is.

Aiden dug his talons into the table, pulling them out quickly to cover his shock. He wasn't letting the giant near any of the wounds . . . he wouldn't allow it. Aiden was momentarily distracted by the smell of the food Tea was putting together - no - no, he didn't deserve this treatment . . . . Biting his lower lip he gave a, "No. That's it." Even if the giant forced him into the treatment of his wrist he wasn't allowing anything else. "I'm fine."

Tea didn't believe that. He guessed they were both liars to some extent. Placing the plated sandwiches in front of Aiden, he moved back to clean up his mess. He debated making tea, then elected to get Aiden water instead. He . . . he strangely couldn't even stomach the thought of sipping his own favorite beverage.

Setting a glass of iced water down before Aiden afterwards, he asked, "Is there anything you can tell me that happened? That won't be too difficult to divulge?" He doubted it. At least his stammer was gone. He was calmer now. So was Aiden, but Aiden was still greatly unsettled.

Aiden stared at it, before looking back to Tea. Debating whether to eat it or not, electing to take a drink from the chilled glass of water. It was refreshing against his lips, chilling his insides - real - that was real . . . not some annoying emotions. The glass was empty in two gulps before the smaller shuddered. Swallowing thickly as red eyes caught gold. ". . .W . . . what do you want . . . to know?" Aiden couldn't go through it all - not again. Hands tightening around the cold glass. The shaking had started again, but he hid it well . . . maybe specific questions would help? Maybe. Tea's emotions were lost on the former Puppeteer, too busy focusing on keeping his own in check.

"Why I left you alive mostly," he said honestly. "But you said you didn't want to go there yet. If that's changed, then that's what I want to know. Other than that," Tea pulled out a noisy chair and sat down slowly, "I really just don't remember anything." He turned his head, feeling his tongue press against his scarred cheek. "Which is probably best."

Damn it - Damn it! Aiden bit into his own cheek, eyes narrowing in restrained frustration. He could feel that glass crack, not enough to be noticeable, but if one looked closely the hairline crack continued to grow. Tea didn't remember - so why bring it up? What should he say? What would make Tea finish what he should have so many weeks ago - these emotions were so damn irritating! The glass shattered in his hand and Aiden pulled the bleeding appendage away. "S- shit!" He hissed lowly, "D-damnit - sssorry . . . ." 

Tea got up quickly, reaching for a towel hanging from the counter. "It's alright," he repeated a few times as he wrapped the material around Aiden's hand first. Then he checked to make sure no glass had gotten on the plate. Shoving it aside to scoop up the broken pieces and ice in his bare hands, Tea's nose wrinkled at the blood. The scent . . . he thought it had just been a result of the other not having showered but . . . something was sour, bitter about it. "What's wrong with your blood?" Tea asked, pausing in gathering up the ice.

Aiden pulled his hand away, "One too many visits from that old bat - your leader liked using her smoke." He looked away, anywhere but Tea, the idea of the skinwalker even going after him again - no no - breathe, calm down - he can't know. Steeling what little control of his nerves he had, the smaller bared his fangs - “You don’t know, how could you know? You forgot everything!” The smaller bristled, “ It is - it’s why my body hasn’t healed, you try being paired with King! You just had a - an idea, wanting to get me out of the way, even for a short time, so you could go after Liam! You coward - you wouldn’t even face me!” That's what he had, that's what he hoped would work - he didn't like being pinned, and he wasn't getting out of here alive - he'd make sure of that.

Tea's eyes narrowed on the increase of aggression in the other and he began shielding himself. "I'm an idiot about a lot of things, but that sounds like a sack of shit to me." The other was bleeding. The blood smelled terrible. Tapi's smoke had burned him and others from the inside, but it had never tainted the scent of anyone's blood. Bristling, Tea lowered the shields just enough to read the other quickly. He was lying. It was so fucking obvious. "I would have just killed you." But something clearly had stopped him.

Tea dropped the glass and the ice, reaching out and running a finger over some of the blood that had dripped onto the table. He smelled it first, then stuck out a purple tongue to lap at it. When the taste hit his senses, his expression turned sour and he glared down at the other with a tilted head.

Aiden stared back at the other just as bitterly - a disgusted countenance gracing his features as the other licked up his blood - sick sick sick - the smaller tensed at the tilt, the scene stopping his blood cold as he watched the other carefully - nerves on high alert as if that third eye was going to show at any moment, that crooked grin that stretched completely over Tea's face would bare those nightmare inducing fangs.

"You were a coward." He hissed, slamming hands down onto the table. "I came back for you, like you had avoided that night - too busy in your plans to end Lance and Liam," anger, he needed more of it - he needed to piss the other off - not fear - not again. "So let's hope you can at least finish one thing and do a simple job right!"

It clicked in Tea's head. Everything clicked. Aiden wasn't human. There were several reasons why Tea would have been pissed off at that. And mentioning his former Masters so casually . . . Tea's eyes glowed as he felt himself start the shiver with anger. "I'm not the one begging for death anymore." He'd never receive it. Why ask for something he can't have? "So who's really the coward here?" Tea balled his fist and slammed it down on the glass, cutting his own hand. When he lifted it back up, black blood seeped from the cuts. "All I ever wanted was to be human and now look at me." He felt a feral series of noises threatening to swell up in his throat with his rage. "I lived to become this. And unfortunately you lived to feel again." He grit his teeth momentarily. "I've wished you dead countless times for the part you played, but this punishment," which echoed Tapi's sentence for him, "is the one you really deserve." Claws dug into the table, leaving marks.

Tea could have pointed out how much of a hypocrite Aiden had been. He could have declared that he should have been the one in chains. He didn’t know all of the facts, but he did know he had had no choice in his fate. Aiden . . . he didn’t know. But it just . . . felt wrong. Everything felt wrong and the freshness of the betrayal was rekindled within him. He wanted to spit that he had lied back in Aiden’s face. He wanted to shred him for watching him suffer alone when Aiden should have suffered right along with him. But he didn’t.

He was not them.

He was not a Puppeteer.

Just another show - The smaller man calmed himself - something about the other's anger funny to him - so he smirked - his nerves were overloaded - but he himself, was numb. A deadweight sat in his chest because of the beast before him. "Is that a no?" He had waited so long, so long. But the light tone never dropped from his words - the other's rage seeped into him, fear overwritten - it was too late, "I want what I deserve kid, nothing more, nothing less." He wouldn't be able to fight the giant . . . not in this state. The towel slipped from his hand, said hand sliding under the black tank top and coming to the scar, if no one else was going to do it - he would.

Tea launched without a second thought, hands encircling the other's forearms as he, Aiden, and the chair Aiden was in hit the ground. Body aching from the impact, Tea gave little regard to Aiden's broken wrist and slammed the man's hands into the floor. All his rage culminated in the form of a shout which mimicked creatures Tea could name if he really thought about it. Then he bellowed through the cries, "You will suffer like the rest of us." He had the eery feeling he'd said those exact words before.

Aiden gasped at the force - the wind effectively knocked out of him and pain building up against where Tea had probably broken more bones in his wrist "F - fucking - why the hell do you care!?" Tea couldn't watch him 24/7. Everything already hurt - "Why won't you let me die!?" The noises and shouting rang in the smaller's ears, he didn't have enough energy to shove Tea away - break free and rip the heart from his chest. Everywhere Tea touched burned and he writhed under the beast, it burned - it was like being touched with heated metal - washing over his skin as the intense pain remained around where the Skinwalker grasped him with a vice-like grip.

"Because you should live with what you did. You shouldn't get a reprieve like death. You deserve to know what your actions caused!" It was selfish. It was a selfish punishment and Tea knew it. He wanted Aiden to hurt as much as he had.

And now he could make him.

Keeping the other pinned, he poured as much pain and fear and hurt as he could in one go and just sent the memories of what all he had felt during his time as a puppet straight into Aiden's body through where he touched. Aiden was going to know. Tea didn't care how, he was going to know what it had felt like to be hurt as he had.

"W-what are you - ?" A gut wrenching scream tore itself from Aiden's throat painfully. His skin was burning - burning as if he was in the middle of a fire, back arching and terror freezing his blood cold below Tea - below the monster. The pain ached from deep within his bones increasing in intensity every second, every moment he continued to lose himself. His voice was hoarse and he couldn’t get any air - he couldn't even hear his own screams let alone the shouts of the giant as he thrashed and writhed. Suffocating under all of it, beads of sweat coating his skin at it became clammy to the touch.. Tears he didn't know he still had ran down his face - his chest beating as if it was going to break out on its own - mind splintering and body convulsing - feeling as if it was shutting down - TOO MUCH IT WAS TOO MUCH - the scream died in his throat. Head falling back to the floor and eyes glazing over and body stiffening before going lax.

Tea didn't stop to think this was a bad idea until the man was already passing out beneath him. His anger mellowed as a sort of panic took hold. "Wait." He let go of the other's wrists. "Aiden?" His own chest seized as he patted the other's face lightly in an attempt to rouse him. Fuck. Fuck had he actually? No. No the other was still breathing. Double checking for a pulse, yes. Aiden was still alive.

Sitting back on his haunches, Tea rubbed his face with one hand. Jesus Christ what the hell was he doing? Standing, his first instinct was to clean up the goddamn mess. Grabbing the trash can, he just raked the broken glass and ice up and into it before refrigerating the uneaten sandwich. Then he stopped and glared at the former Puppeteer still lying on the floor and considered just leaving him there. Then he recalled the other chandeliers, the number of sharp objects in this one room, and a myriad of other details. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he cursed himself. He had to be the biggest fucking moron he knew.

Going to the medicine cabinet, he pulled from it the necessary items to create a splint for Aiden's wrist and disinfect his cuts. Pocketing those materials, he then moved back to lift the smaller off the ground and carry him. The other was much lighter than before, he thought.

He'd mend what damage he could while Aiden was unconscious. Then he'd let him get some rest on Tea's much too large mattress.

Aiden stirred, body twitching at the contact of Tea on his skin like a switch. Breathing labored as he rasped and mumbled quietly, ". . . I c. . . can . . . can’t . . . go with . . . you . . .," his words slurred together, the prisoner oblivious to reality, plagued by the memories Tea had forced . . . . And even those slowly transitioning to ones even before that, rearing their ugly heads as Aiden's mind splintered from the other's emotions. " D . . . plea . . . ssse . . . do . . . don't . . . leave m - I can't . . . breathe . . . ." He was limp upon Tea's hold, face pale and tears still running down his cheeks as he whimpered quietly. ". . . c . . . can . . . -," the smaller's body jolted, another agonized sound tearing from his throat - "Why!?" It was a loud and almost animalistic sound - as if he was begging, not to Tea - no not to Tea - something else -, "Don't take it! Not yet!"

Tea listened, carrying the other carefully and taking in all the cries. He used his dwindling energy to stave off the pain that threatened to seep into him. He wanted to be angry. He wanted to stay enraged, but it was so difficult. With Aiden crumbling like this, it was the hardest thing he could do right now.

Aside from what he was doing, which was try to slow Aiden's heartbeat enough that he actually relaxed and rested. "Shhhhh," he murmured as he moved to the hall where he'd find his room, carrying both man and medical supplies, "they're just bad dreams." Just old memories more likely. "They're not really happening." Not right now at least. He kept his voice as soothing as possible, working to ease the hurt he'd caused.

Such a moron, he thought of himself.

Aiden's breathing cut off to quick shallow breaths, Tea's idea working as his heart slowed and the other stopped crying out. The occasional whine or groan passing his lips instead. His body was numb - it felt like glass - it felt terrible. The tears stopped but the memories did not. 

A crow sounded from farther down the hall and the smaller's body tensed before going limp once more. It wasn't like Aiden could actually hear Tea, not against the ringing in his ears. Strings wrapped around the foreign heart buried deep in his chest, ". . . Ki . . . ng . . . I . . . I want . . . t-to go . . . home."

Tea didn't register the sounds from down the hall, too focused on the rhythm of the other's heartbeat. He vaguely heard the statement and it sent chills over him. He staved off the tide of unease, focusing on helping the other.

Setting Aiden down gently on his bed, he pulled the materials from his pockets and started splinting the swollen, broken wrist first. He tried to maintain physical contact with Aiden no matter what, the link making it easier to send feeling into him. Once the wrist was fastened and cared for, Tea cleaned the cuts. All the while he whispered, "Just rest. Shhhh."

Aiden grabbed at the soft material, hands clenching and unclenching around the fabric. Breathing now even, only gasping and whimpering at the pressure and touches to his wounds. Hazy red eyes slid open slowly, unfocused and pained. Though Tea's emotion was taken in quickly, greedily, the smaller's hand twitched, moving up to touch his own face, ebony claws grazing over the skin gently. It slid over before reaching out for Tea's own arm, latching onto the taller's wrist with a weak grip before trying to tug the other closer. " Please . . .," Aiden whined, mind not fully there and eyes unfocused, tugging again. "Please don't go . . . please . . . ." He gave off more small cries. Even while falling in and out he didn't want to lose the only thing anchoring him to anywhere but the old memories - they threatened him - his mentality - "Pleasse . . . don't leave . . . ."

Tea stiffened, unsure of whether or not Aiden was talking to him or the raven or some other voice from the past. He flushed deep purple as the man tugged him by the arm. "Alright, alright," he agreed, allowing himself to be pulled closer. Now sitting on the bed, he continued caring for Aiden's wounds.

When he finished, it hit him: he was sitting on a bed with Aiden. Aiden was pulling him closer. He was keeping the other alive. This . . . was awkward.

Quickly he tried to pry his forearm from the other, whispering that he wouldn't leave, he was staying right here. He just . . . really, really didn't want Aiden to feel how he felt right now. The other needed to be calm, not panicky. And Tea really wasn't sure how he felt about being touched and drawn close by Aiden of all people.

"Rowan . . . please," it was the smallest of whispers, a plea to a - long since gone - friend. Even as he continued to try and hold the other his grip faltered, rolling to his shoulder, something in him hurting - warning him . . . he didn't want to be alone. "Please . . .," and the idea of letting go of this individual - whoever it was - the one that had shown him the most care - hurt the smaller. Against the last tug of Tea's wrist to be released the other's hand fell limp against the bed. Gripping the sheets with as much force as he could muster - which wasn't a lot.

Tea sat frozen with guilt as he stared down at the other. Hearing his name, his real name, made him think of a time long ago. He too went limp, suddenly overcome with a sadness he couldn't tame.

Leaning back against the headboard, he drew his legs in tight and wrapped his arms around them. He shook slightly, throat closing and ears buzzing as he tried to forget. Those times were long gone, he couldn't touch back on them now. Things were just . . . they would never be the same. He'd just been a stupid kid when Aiden had called him Rowan. Then again, in a sense, so had Aiden.

He sat beside the other as he clutched at the bed, limbs drawn tight and stiff. Tea had been the one hurt back then. He'd been the one abandoned and scarred. So why did he suddenly feel like he was the one who should be apologizing?


End file.
